


Carvings

by jamwrites



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Halloween, Jack-o'-lanterns, Pumpkins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 07:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4820507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamwrites/pseuds/jamwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost Halloween in Beach City, and both Connie and the Crystal Gems have never carved pumpkins...like ever!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carvings

The pumpkins had them surrounded.

Connie turned in circles, letting her surroundings blur into a vast swath of orange that turned and wobbled faster than she did. A laugh bubbled up in her throat. She'd never seen something anything like this before: stables with little ponies, haphazardly stacked hay, the barn shop filled with jars of honey and caramel apples and cherry pies. All of it was new and smelled like the best thing she could imagine, smelled like curling up in a blanket felt.

"Steven, this is amazing!" She laughed again; she couldn't help it. It was all around her: the orange and red and purple trees and the tractor-pulled wagon rides. She could have sworn she had been sucked right into book three of the  _Spirit Morph Saga_. The pumpkin patch was almost identical to how she had pictured the Autumn Realm that Lisa had fallen into, minus a dragonweasel or two, but that was a minor detail.

Steven grinned and walked backwards to where she had stopped to ogle. "You really have never ever been to a pumpkin patch before?"

"Nope," she said, biting the inside of her cheek. "my parents always thought there were too many chemicals in the pumpkins to get any for Halloween. They didn't want me touching the insides and stuff." She breathed out through her nose. The stuff about her parents was true of course, only it sounded stupid saying it out loud, too much like whining. She really never had gotten a pumpkin before, but at least she was allowed sugar free candy on Halloween night. Even though she had to buy a mom-and-dad-approved bag from the store instead of getting it the normal way.

"Well Connie, I have to say, I don't entirely understand this either." Pearl strode past the two of them, arms crossed. "Honestly, why these humans feel the need to cut up vegetables, light them up, and put them out on their lawns for a month is beyond me."

"I think it's pretty sweet. These things are like big juicy zits!" Connie only just had time to duck as Amethyst flew over her head and landed, each foot crushing a pumpkin. She giggled in spite of herself. This place was magical. Even though Pearl was complaining, she could still see the slightest smile tugging on her lips as if maybe the patch reminded her of someplace back on Homeworld. Amethyst was having the time of her life and Garnet had wandered off, somehow getting roped into helping load the jumbo sized pumpkins into the back of peoples' cars. Best of all, the wind was cold, so Steven was walking close to her, his arm pressed against hers.

She shivered-part from the feeling in her chest and part from the breeze-and started wading through the sea of pumpkins. "So, which ones are the best?"

"I'm not really sure. I've only done this a couple of times with my daddy-o." Steven put a hand on his chin and squinted at the pumpkins like they were suspects in a crime. "Hmmmmm. If you're asking my opinion, Detective Maheswaran, I would recommend that sly looking fellow over there in the orange."

"An excellent choice, Detective Universe." Connie bent and scooped up the pumpkin Steven was pointing at. It was the perfect first pumpkin; round and smooth and a little on the grimy side, but definitely a solid one. "He's kind of a chunker; I suspect he swallowed the murder weapon."

"He's forced our hand, Detective. We're going to have to operate. Let's round up his friends and take 'em all back. We've got questions and they've got answers." Steven scooped up a few more pumpkins. She couldn't help but notice how much stronger he was now than when they had met. And had he gotten taller? She could have sworn he was always looking up at her, but recently it seemed like she was talking to his chin.

"Wait for me, Detective!" She blew a hair out of her face and ran to catch up.

"Pearl, we found the suspects-I mean-pumpkins!" Steven dumped a few into Pearl's arms, ignoring her protests, and then turned to carry Connie's for her.

"Alright, so that's five pumpkins, plus however many Amethyst destroyed." Pearl turned and started walking towards to the shop. "Garnet, we're going now!"

While they all stood in the little barn and waited as Pearl was insisting she could calculate the weights of the pumpkins using trigonometry instead of a scale, Connie closed her eyes. The pumpkin patch really was like the Autumn Realm, and she was Lisa. Lisa had arrived at the Realm on accident, and before learning she was trapped there, had found everything as magical as any witch powers she had. The only thing that would have made the day perfect was if her parents had been happy about it too.

Connie sighed and kicked at the hay-strewn floor with the toe of her boot. Her mom had barely allowed her to come with Steven to pick out pumpkins, let alone offered to drive them herself. Greg had been away at an old friend's house recording a new song, so they had all had to walk from the nearest warp pad.

It didn't matter though. She was here now and everything was fine. Wonderful.

Then why did her mouth taste like the sugar-free candy she ate every year on Halloween? Thinking about it brought back the memory of sitting in her living room at the end of October, listening to her father play his cello. She resisted the urge to spit. She had never disliked those Halloweens, spent with cello music or even watching Halloween specials on TV, but that had been before she had met Steven. His life was so fantastic and full of magic, and hers was even less magical than a normal person's. Was it childish that she loved coming here so much? Did it show that she was some sort of sheltered freak?

"Fine, that'll be ten dollars and eighty-three cents."

"If you really want to undercharge me, then I guess that's your own choice." Pearl rolled her eyes, handed the cashier some crumpled bills, and then they were all walking with their pumpkins out into the evening air.

An hour later, she, Steven, and the Gems sat in a circle below Steven's loft. The ground was littered with old newspapers, and an array of kitchen knives and spoons were all clustered around Steven's pedestal of pillows like an array of dull weaponry.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Jack-O-Lantern Class," he said, hands on hips like a college professor. "It has come to my attention that almost everyone in this room is lacking in knowledge of the ancient art of pumpkin carving, so allow me to guide you in this most noble of professions. First, pick up your knife and carve a hole around the top of your pumpkin, like so." Steven sat and began carving. Connie picked up her own knife and followed his lead. Cutting through her pumpkin with the dull knife was a little tough, but eventually she found herself with a lopsided, roughly-circular hole.

"Very good, student Connie." Steven nodded at her, chin raised, and she nodded solemnly back. She sat and waited while the Gems worked on their own pumpkins, the fire crackling in the corner and dry leaves rustling outside on the porch. She tried to let go of that stupid ache in her chest, but it kept on throbbing all the same. For a second, it seemed like music from her father's cello was drifting through the house, but then it was gone again.

_Stop it,_  she told herself.  _You're supposed to be happy. There's nothing to be upset about here!_ She was carving pumpkins for the first time, scooping out innards with Steven beside her and laughing at the goopy noises they made. Was she forcing her laughter? Could Steven tell her eyes were a little puffy?  _Stop it stop it stop it._

"Pearl, you're supposed to use a knife," Steven was saying. Connie blinked; Pearl had summoned her spear and had it raised above her head like a knight about to charge into battle.

"Oh, trust me Steven, this will be much faster." With one quick motion, Pearl brought her spear down and sliced the top fourth of her pumpkin clean off, sending the bit of orange goop flying across the room to splat onto a wall.

"I…guess that's one way to do it. Nice work." Steven clapped his hands together. "And now for the cleaning. Everybody, get to work!"

Connie threw herself into scooping out her pumpkin with her spoon. She scraped up the sides, threw down the clump of pumpkin guts, and dove back in again.  _No, you can't go out tonight. You don't know what kind of creeps are out there waiting to pick up kids like you!_ Scrape, fling, scrape again. She didn't remember dropping the spoon but now she was working with her hands, clawing at the guts and seeds.  _You know you can't eat that sugary mess, Connie. I'm sorry, but we're going to have to throw it away. I'll email your teacher and explain, it will all be fine._ Scrape, scrape, scrape. Sweat prickled her forehead.  _No Connie. You can't, Connie. Of course not, Connie. Don't be silly Connie._

_Fine Connie, you can go with Steven for pumpkins tonight, but I have to work late. Be home before seven._

"You didn't even know it was  _Halloween_!" She threw the last of the innards, sucking in lungful after lungful of air.

Wait, why was everything so quiet? Why was everyone looking at her? Oh no, had she said that out  _loud_?

"Connie," Steven began, but she didn't hear the rest of what he said because the stupid tears were coming and she couldn't stop them this time. A choking sob wracked her chest and her head was in her hands, and it was stupid, so idiotic to cry about something like this, she was stronger than this, she was better.

"I-I'm sorry." She sniffed hard. "It's stupid, I…I-" She threw up her hands. They were going to want to know, she should just tell them. "I just wanted my parents to be here. I wanted them to at least understand. I've never even seen the inside of a pumpkin." For some reason she laughed while she cried, laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She shook her head. "And my parents don't care."

It took him less than a heartbeat. "I care." He was hugging her, hugging her so hard she thought they might fuse. "We all do."

"It will be okay," Garnet said. She tapped the lens of her shades and smiled ever so slightly. "I know it."

"Yeah Connie, cheer up! I mean, at least you have parents."

" _Amethyst_." Through her blurry eyes, Connie saw Pearl elbow the other gem. "What she meant was, we know your familial connections are very important to you humans and are quite fragile, and we respect that. Most of us, anyway."

"Thanks, Miss."

Pearl's eyes softened. "We're not training, Connie. You can call me Pearl."

After that, they didn't give her any time to think about crying. Instead, Steven explained about carving designs into pumpkins, which involved lots of knife-wielding and shouting on Pearl's part. Amethyst tried carving, but ended up with a pumpkin that looked like it had gone through the blender, and they all laughed, even Amethyst. Steven made Cookie Cat, one eye closed and tongue stuck out, while Pearl spent a good few hours whittling away to make a complex 3D design of a rose. Garnet summoned her gauntlets and punched straight through hers and held it up, pumpkin juice dripping down her arm.

She raised an eyebrow at her pumpkin, then nodded in approval. "Perfect."

It took Connie a while to figure out what she wanted on her pumpkin, but eventually she settled on a cello, just like the one her father played for her. On the sides, she put a tiny violin and ukulele for her and Steven.

When it came time for them to set them out, the five of them gathered on the front porch, candles in hand. The night air coming off the ocean was cool and smelled salty, but also like crinkling dead leaves and frost, the smell of winter just being born. She dropped her candle into her pumpkin quickly before it burned her, and then walked down the wooden steps a ways off to admire her work from afar. Everyone else followed, and when they were the right distance away, they all turned around at once.

She almost gasped. They were beautiful. Well, beautiful in a homemade-crafts sort of way, but also eerie and and wicked and somehow jovial at the same time, everything Halloween was supposed to be. Her instruments and Steven's Cookie Cat, Pearl's rose, Amethyst's chain saw massacre and Garnet's proud wreckage, they all stood lit together, shining out over the water, protecting the temple from any wandering spirits who may have happened to come over to their side of the beach. They stood for a long time admiring their pumpkins. Even Amethyst was silent for once.

Connie almost didn't hear her phone buzz. She fished around in her pocket and flipped it open; a text from her parents. Great. She considered not reading it and going back to the looking at their Jack-O-Lanterns, but the spell was broken and everyone was starting to wander back to the house. Her thumbs clumsily navigated to her inbox, chilled from the night. She might as well face them now.

_We hope your day with Steven went well. If you choose, we can extend your curfew so you can spend some more time with his family. Happy Halloween, sweetheart. Love, Mom and Dad._

_Happy Halloween._ Connie clutched the phone to her chest. She could feel the tears in her eyes again. They remembered. And they hadn't even said what time she should be home by. For them, that was practically the same thing as handing her a bottle of alcohol and saying "go wild".

An idea waved its hand in her head. She smiled. She had all night, why not?

"Hey, Steven." Connie looked at him. The other gems had all gone back inside, leaving just the two of them alone on the sand, lit only by the Jack-O-Lanterns. "Do you…maybe want to go Trick-Or-Treating with me?"

They raced each other inside to throw together a costume, but all the same, Connie kept a hand on her phone. If her parents called, she wouldn't want to miss it. 


End file.
